Diabetes with a smile–

peaches

Just when I think I’m under “control,” the SUGAR BEAST drops by. No, he doesn’t just “drop by,” he pushes his way in!

I’m trying to determine whether or not there’s a pattern. I think not. It’s just there — waiting right outside my thoughts. Just waiting and watching for an opening to seep into my T2D brain.

“SUGAR BEAST”

I picture those “openings” as doors with titles above them: TIRED, HUNGRY, ANGRY, to name a few. If any of those doors crack open — even a tiny bit — the SUGAR BEAST is right their waiting to slither in and take over.

Good news: Wednesday, I went to Meyer’s Farm to stock up on some fresh vegetables. When I got home, I put the green and yellow zucchini, the bright red onion, and the peaches into a lovely ceramic bowl. Bad news: They’re still there. 😦

Well, now I’m really annoyed. Annoyed enough to do something about it?YES! I’m going to stomp on the beast, cut up those veggies and transform them into a fabulous side dish for tonight’s dinner. I’ll let you know the result of my creation…

It’s coming folks — the 4th of July! A great day for those of us in the U.S.A. who have so much to be grateful for. Parades, ceremonies, and then the Sacred Barbecue! Who doesn’t like a good BBQ? Fire up those grills.

Be sure to add a salad to your plate. I’m talking about a green salad — beware of the potato and macaroni salad, pasta salads that will shoot up your blood sugar. Not worth it — watch out for the carbs and add the proteins instead.

BEST THING TO DO BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOME TO GO TO THE BBQ = Drink an 8oz glass of water and have a healthy snack. By doing that, you won’t be “famished” when you arrive and overwhelmed by the temptation.

I recently read an article in Prevention Guide. The theme was Sugar Detox Made Easy — yeah, right! 🙂

I keep telling myself, you’ve done it before, and you can do it again. That’s absolutely true, so what’s my problem?Maybe, my issues are because I’m doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. Isn’t that the definition of INSANITY!

My answer to that dilemma is to branch out, in terms of my research. I bought this magazine sometime in January. I’ll admit to skimming it; like that ever worked… This time around, I read it cover to cover and back again.

Author Aviva Patz wrote, Your Step-by-Step Detox Plan. In fact, she had a slew of helpful hints to formulate an action plan. Action Plan? I didn’t sign up for an Action Plan. However, her program consists of things to DO to help in dealing with diabetes, to overcome the addiction. She talked about the importance of writing down a Manifesto.WHAT? C’mon, I’m a busy woman. I don’t have time for this nonsense! And then, the little voice inside me reminded me that I always have time to eat cookies, and cakes, and candy, Oh, My! Developing a manifesto took about three minutes, and consisted of writing the pros and cons of quitting sugar, and the same for NOT quitting sugar. She recommends keeping your notes nearby for when that temptation creeps in.

Ms. Patz talked about replacing the addictive food with something palatable but not as unhealthy. Example: Fruit — still sweet, so it will stomp out the cravings, while eating healthy nutrients. (Be careful. There is such a thing as having too much of a good thing.) Easy does it — fruit will absolutely effect your blood sugar levels. The goal is to maintain a balance.

Celebrating with a Gala!

I’ll be writing about Patz’ article for a number of days. She presents some great healthy alternatives to poor choices, and I’ll be passing them along to you.

Of all her suggestions, one jumped out at me — why didn’t I think of this??? She suggests that we don’t use the words “I can’t” when sugar is offered to us. Sounds like my usual, “I can’t have dessert, I’m diabetic.” waaa, waaaaah, waaaaaah, poor Kathy… Instead of the “poor me” response, Patz advises us to simply say, “I don’t eat refined sugar.” Simple, to the point. She compares the dilemma to that of the VEGETARIAN who easily states, “I don’t eat meat.” She’s right! It’s a choice — OUR choice! It makes perfect sense. It’s empowering. The decision is ours and the words, “I can’t,” give away our power and weaken our resolve. It’s brilliant! Obviously, this is an easy change in behavior and will likely end with the person offering the sweets to back down. Sounds good to me. No more pity party when the host cuts the cake. 🙂

“I don’t eat refined sugar.” Period!

My sincere thanks to Aviva Patz for an article that was not only motivating, but also made sense.

Returned home and had breakfast (1/2 peach, 1 slice whole wheat bread/peanut butter) This is the most difficult meal of the day for me. I’m allergic to eggs — everyone’s favorite breakfast food! I’ll be working on finding alternatives for healthy breakfasts.

Jumped in the shower, then off to my writing group (11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)

Dr. app’t 2:00 p.m

Oops — lunch? Didn’t happen. 😦 Got to dr. office early. Chinese take out across the street. I ran in and got a cup of chicken/rice soup. (ate half. It’s something…)

SLOW DOWN — bedtime routine. This is the most difficult time of the day for me. Why? because most people would refer to it as “bed”time but I’m just getting rolling. My plan is to start to slow down around 8:00 p.m. and actually go to bed at 10:00 p.m. I brought a cup of chamomile tea to bed with me and started to read. Perfect, right? It would have been, except that I realized I hadn’t finished my blog. I broke the #1 Sacred Rule of Nighttime Routine — I grabbed my laptop. Ugh. I know better than that! Quickly, I finished this post and now, it’s off to bed for this Type 2 Diabetic.